Children frequently enjoy playing in water sprinklers, particularly on hot and humid summer days. However, it is now known that water is not an ever-lasting resource and as such, homeowners are often advised by their municipalities to conserve water when watering their lawns for example. In addition, people are often advised to restrict their unnecessary use of water during particularly hot and humid period when the demands on the local water system are greatest.
To reconcile these two competing interests, namely the desire of kids to play in the water and the need to conserve water, a sprinkler system or unit which can be used as a toy but still conserves water is required and desired. A unit which limits the spray of water on an "as-needed" basis is one such unit. As a toy, therefore, such a unit would be one in which a spray is created whenever children are present or using the sprinkler, but in which the spray is turned off automatically when the children get tired or stop playing in the area. Similarly, a unit which limits the duration of the spray would also be advantageous as both a toy and a water conservation tool.
To be further profitable as a toy, the unit should be one in which all of the parts are housed in a single shell or case such that it can be simply hooked up to a hose and put in use. Also, a unit which offers a variety of spray options would be commercially useful and valuable.
Motion detection water systems have been used in the past, primarily as animal deterrents. In those systems known to the applicant, the motion detector covers a fixed area of the garden and activates a valve upon sensing the motion of an animal in that area. The valve opens and water is sprayed on the animal, or in the general vicinity of the movement to, hopefully, scare away the animal. Such systems are typically comprised of several discreet components which must each be placed in the proper position and are also typically meant to be more of a permanent or long-term addition to a garden. Reference is made for example to U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,093 of MacMillan, which issued Oct. 17, 1995 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,192 of Burman, which issued Apr. 23, 1991. However, neither of these systems would be suitable for use as a child's toy and neither are housed within a single shell or case for ease of use.